Past & Present
by troublescout
Summary: Veronica and Logan spend the morning reminiscing and making out. Pure fluff. Set post 'Mr. Kiss and Tell'.


_**I am not a writer, but I was drabbling and this actually morphed into something resembling a coherent story. I decided to post it on AO3 as a valentine to all the lovely VM Tumblr fans. Now I'm posting it here. Please forgive my poor literary skills and I hope you enjoy! **_

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Logan rises with the dawn and is pleasantly surprised when Veronica follows suit. Instead of stealthily navigating their bedroom without waking her, they shower together, indulging in roving hands and slippery kisses.

Toweling off in front of the mirror, he mumbles into her shoulder with a smile, "You, me, and bathrooms. Always a winner."

She sighs in agreement, leaning back against his chest. She puts her hand at the base of his skull, enjoying the sensation of drawing him closer. She's been missing him and this morning has been a wonderful respite. They settle comfortably in the moment, but one good, deep breath and he can already see where this is heading.

"Now you're just _trying_ to make me late," he says with a groan.

"I would _never_," she mocks.

He playfully bites her neck and Veronica emits a small squeal Logan finds deeply satisfying. She quickly towel whips him as he exits, but it lacks all malice.

As he's getting dressed, she throws on her robe and cooks breakfast to make up for lost time. They enjoy scrambled eggs on toast and the blissful chatter of domesticity while the glow of sunrise filters through the kitchen.

Finished eating and having lapsed into silence, Veronica absentmindedly moons over Logan across the counter. She's happy and it shows. He catches her eye with a challenging look and she coquettishly demurs, beginning to scrape their plates together.

"You keep looking at me like that and I am going to be beyond tardy for my flight eval."

"And sadly time travel is _still_ not yet possible," she remarks giving him a sly, hooded glance of recognition. She seals her flirtation with a signature smirk.

He takes a final swig of his orange juice and a rush of memories from their first truly sexual encounter cause him to swallow hard. His old dialogue on her tongue gives him an undeniably giddy thrill. He travels around the counter, brimming with amusement, unfortunately, he's also keenly aware he has to go. "Back To The Future really over-promised on that front," he says softly in her ear, then gives her a lingering kiss on the temple before heading to the front door.

There's barely a beat before Veronica starts, sprinting over to cut him off. She throws up an index finger telling him hold on a second before peeking out the door. She pulls an OMG face, then drops it, resting her back against the door as it clicks shut. "The coast is clear," she says feigning relief. He can't help but grin at her reenactment.

"And just whom pray tell are you saving me from this time m'dear?"

"Bitsy and Bobsy Needlemeyer," she says like it's obvious. They're the geriatric sisters in the apartment across the way. "You know those harlots have a thing for you. And _so_ handsy."

Logan stands over her, hand on the door, just like he did in the high school bathroom a lifetime before. He's grinning and smitten and that's just like before too.

"Wouldn't want those two getting out of order. Good lookin' out," he says and she can feel the warmth of his sweet breath tickle her face. Knowing his schedule she's hesitant to continue, to start something more, but this is fun and she thinks, Fuck it.

She grabs him by fistfuls of his shirt. "Good luck today flyboy," she says, tugging him close and making out with him thoroughly.

While he's intoxicated by anticipation for an impending kiss and swooping in to regain contact, she abruptly interjects, "Remember!—" Keenly aware they're entrenched in some strange game of forced déjà vu, they burst into a fit of laughter interspersed with more fervent kisses.

Eventually, Veronica manages to regain a bit of composure, presenting Logan with some semblance of a serious face. "Remember," she repeats, then continues with undo emphasis, "_Force_ equals _mass_ times _acceleration_," her lips curling in enjoyment. "Very important."

"Mmhmm, a guiding force in my life," he murmurs, again pressing his lips to hers. He then stills and gets lost for a moment, continuing their physics lesson quietly, almost as an afterthought, "And light is a particle that can exhibit properties of a wave." Their eyes meet again and suddenly none of it seems quite so funny anymore. He tucks a stray strand of hair away behind her ear. "I remember."

"Well, that tidbit seems unnecessary for your fighter pilot brain to retain," she says, trying to dismiss how affecting his ability to recall their playful exchange from over a decade ago actually is. Failing, she blushes and concedes with a whisper, "Good memory."

"You've always been my favorite subject."

She flutters her eyelashes dramatically and drawls, "Who, me?" It makes his mouth quirk in that delicious way that she likes and she really doesn't want to let him go.

They both exhale deeply, knowing they have to get their shit together, and Veronica kisses him soundly, assuredly, one more time. "You have to go," she says.

"I'd rather stay here with you." He squeezes her hips and drags them towards his, intent on nuzzling her neck.

"I have things to do," she says with a smirk, shying away from him with an ineffectual shove.

Smiling, Logan shakes his head in chagrin, kissing her neck anyway. He gives her a wink and drags his hand low across her belly for good measure before he finally exits. Shutting the door behind him, she leans against it indulgent, girly and grinning stupidly from ear to ear in her solitude.

A split second later there's a knock on the door and she startles, slamming into it with a little yelp. Veronica can hear Logan's velvety chuckle on the other side and she opens it just enough to frame her small body, her cheeks sporting a high flush.

"Yes?" she says expectantly, ineptly attempting nonchalance at the sight of his smug expression.

He counters by languidly leaning into the doorframe, his face transforming into something impossibly open and sincere. And then:

"You're the love of my life Veronica Mars."

Blindsided by the warm burst of unadulterated happiness radiating through her, tripping its way through every molecule, her mind slips to a perfect blank. Veronica, being so helplessly Veronica, is instantly rendered both mute and immobile by Logan's unfettered emotional honesty.

He could never mistake her for indifferent though. Her countenance may be deceptively stoic, but her eyes are glassy and glimmering, beaming with elation and rampant affection. He knows she loves him too.

In fact, Logan revels unabashedly in her reaction, then kisses her adorably stunned face with aplomb. Gently grazing her throat with his fingertips, he backs away, content as she's ever seen him. Finally, and without hesitation, Veronica's mouth splits into a profoundly dopy smile and she's rewarded with a mercilessly toothy grin from him.

She watches him go as he disappears down the three flights of stairs to navigate the parking lot and it's almost like a silent film. It's still very early in the morning and the world seems almost preternaturally quiet. He looks up before he gets in his car and she's still watching him, now from the railing, her whole being thrumming with joy and wishing he wasn't so far away.

Their eyes meet and without any contemplation she calls out to him, her voice weak and crackling with emotion, but resolute. Not a shout, but a projection.

"You're the love of my life, too."

He inhales and for that mere moment, she is ripe with anticipation. She's dying to see him smile, keen, blink, stumble or still - to see him _react_, whatever form it may take. However, just then his eyes narrow and she sees him pull out his phone, putting it to his ear. Veronica is instantly deflated, positive he hasn't heard her. Her shoulders sag and she pulls back on the railing in futility.

However, a fraction of a second later, she reconsiders her disappointment as he walks away from his car and begins to ascend the stairs with freakishly calculated military precision, three at a time. Her heart starts thumping wildly in her breast.

"Yes, I've been rendered incapable of performing my duties today," she distantly hears him say on the first floor. "I'm taking to bed for the foreseeable future," on the second. He rounds the corner on the third and strides into view. "Yes, I'm seeing a specialist regarding the matter post haste."

"What are you doing?" she says as he approaches, completely unconcerned, grinning like a fool.

"Indulging in petty corruption," he announces brazenly while simultaneously ending his phone call, scooping her up, capturing her mouth, spinning her around, and eagerly plastering her to the exterior wall of the apartment, kissing her senseless. Never let it be said the man isn't an unbelievable taskmaster she thinks.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Did you say something?" he jests. "Hard to hear over all this din."

Without pause, Logan goes in for a kiss, but Veronica beguilingly avoids his lips, giggling shamelessly in the process. He's besotted and endlessly amused by her antics, although admittedly slightly confused. She presses her hand to his cheek, her thumb trailing on his lips and it quiets their energy. Logan has given Veronica the perfect opportunity to copout, but this time she doesn't want to run. She wants to tell him again. And to be fully present in the moment when she does.

Veronica leans her head back to pull the pale, smooth plains of his face into focus. Once she can see every freckle, every fleck of hazel in his irises, she knows she's hit the sweet spot. She sighs, honeyed and low. Drunk off her own lack of inhibition with him, she smiles lazy and true and looks at him as directly as she ever has.

"You, Logan Echolls, are the love of my life."

Logan goes uncharacteristically still beneath her gaze and she loves every blessed second of it. "What, no quip?" she teases with glee. He smiles and looks at her softly, reverently, but doesn't return to form. She leans in and kisses his mouth. "You're the love of my life," she breathes against his skin. "I love you."

And just like that, he surges to life, his mouth fusing with hers in a careless battle of grins and tongues and teeth. He spins them round and round and round until they're over the threshold and careening into the bedroom.

Seemingly in the wake of their centripetal force, the doors slam shut in succession startling Pony awake. The massive black puppy lets out a few hearty barks in fruitless protest prior to settling back into the couch cushions to dose contentedly for the duration. Experience has taught her it will be awhile before Veronica and Logan resurface, but there are worse things in life than having happy parents.

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_**Also posted on AO3 at /works/3340421**_

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_Thank you so much for reading! I hope it put a smile on your face._


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